On March 22, 1858, then-Iowa Gov. Ralph P. Lowe signed the bill to establish a State Agricultural College and Model Farm that became Iowa State.

The original campus consisted of 14 buildings, including several barns, Old Main and the oldest building still on campus, Farm House, built in 1860. A preparatory class of 70 men and women were received on Oct. 21, 1868, making Iowa State coeducational from the beginning.

The first class comprised 173 students — 136 men and 37 women — from 55 Iowa counties. Adonijah Welch was appointed Iowa State’s first president in May 1868.

For many years the college didn’t have dorms — students and faculty lived together in cottages, and until the 1920s there was no tuition.

In 1959 the college was officially renamed Iowa State University of Science and Technology.

“It is amazing that we ended up being such a large university from where we started,” said Tanya Zanish-Belcher, associate professor at Parks Library and head of the university archives and special collections departments, which helps create many different pieces about Iowa State’s history.

Since its founding, Iowa State’s campus and landscape have changed in many ways. The campus has grown to more than 140 buildings and features landscaping of national renown. Currently, more than 27,000 students are enrolled.

But Central Campus is something that remains unchanged — the original vision of the campus was to have an open central campus with a road encircling the buildings, which was Adonijah Welch’s idea. It includes 490 acres of trees, plants and classically designed buildings.

The landscape’s dominant feature is the 20-acre central lawn, circled by such buildings as the Campanile, Beardshear Hall and Curtiss Hall. Here students study, relax and socialize.

“The alumni love Central Campus so much because it looks very similar to when they went to school,” said Carole Gieseke, chief communications manager for the alumni association. “I hear it over and over from alumni that ISU made them who they are today.”

Long after students leave Iowa State, their memories of campus stay with them.

“Most alumni I talk to tell me that their undergrad experience here at ISU was something they’ll remember forever,” said Gieseke. “It’s very uplifting to be a part of something as great as ISU.”